George Lucas disses neighbors by doing something awesome

[babylonsister]

http://now.msn.com/entertainment/0512-lucas-neighbors.aspx#scptm2

George Lucas disses neighbors by doing something awesome


​George Lucas has long wanted to build a massive studio complex on his posh property near San Francisco, but has been foiled by his Marin County neighbors for 25 years, even as subdivisions have gone up around him. Now he's fighting fire with fire, giving up on his dream and instead building low-income housing on the property. We know -- it's pretty sweet. In the exquisitely titled article, "George Lucas Does Something Likeable For a Change," Peter Hall nails it: "If there's one thing rich people will hate more than having movie magic made in their backyard, it's poor people moving in." That the second Star Wars trilogy, or ... you get the point, but bully for Lucas here.


http://www.movies.com/movie-news/george-lucas-grady-ranch/7883
George Lucas Does Something Likeable For a Change: Revenge on Rich Neighbors

snip//

So what is George Lucas going to do with his property now that he's tired of his rich neighbors putting up a not-in-my-backyard stink? He wants to transform the property into low-income housing, naturally, ending their official statement with this zinger, "If everyone feels that housing is less impactful on the land, then we are hoping that people who need it the most will benefit."

He's working with the Marin Community Foundation to instead construct affordable housing for either low-income families or seniors living on small, fixed incomes. In order to smooth along the development, he's already given them all of the pricey technical studies and land surveys Lucasfilm spent years conducting. And we think that's just great. Because if there's one thing rich people will hate more than having movie magic made in their backyard, it's poor people moving in.

Mr. Lucas, we may hate you for turning your back on the original trilogy, but our hat is off to you on this one. Well played.

[tilsammans]

1. K&R. WHAT a story!

[Blue_Tires]

2. brilliant

[JCMach1]

3. Kick for Lucas

ROFL

[cali]

4. this is great. and even if it wasn't his original intent, major kudos to Lucas

[itaest]

50. Not sure. It sounds a bit like revenge

At least the way the author describes it.

[firehorse]

5. Lol, maybe I can afford to move back to my homeland now. *chuckling*

[Webster Green]

18. I was thinking the same thing.

Housing for seniors on low fixed income. I might qualify.

I used to drive by his place every day, when I lived out that way in Marin, and was commuting to Sonoma County. I once applied for an audio job at Starwalker Ranch, but that went nowhere.

[Nostradammit]

32. Maybe because you sent it to the wrong place? ; )

http://www.skysound.com/about_ranch.html

[Webster Green]

46. No, I was probably in over my head.

I had a resume from doing sound on music tours. No film audio experience.

[Nostradammit]

80. Sorry, I was just trying to make a lame joke about the fact that it's called SKYwalker Ranch

And not Starwalker, as you called it.

It would be a dream gig for an audio guy, though, no doubt about it.

Some of their acoustic treatments are outrageously cool and they've got one of the best directors in Leslie Ann Jones.

Ahh, what might have been, eh?

[Webster Green]

82. Oh, that went right over my head.

I never was a 'Star Wars' fan. I went to see the first one, and fell asleep. A little too fucking cute for my taste.

Now 'Alien', on the other hand....

[white_wolf]

6. Keep it up, George and I may forgive you for the prequels...

though it will take a lot of good works for me to get over you adding that horrible Nooo! scene at the end of Return of the Jedi.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

7. Love this story- I was just about to post it.

Hope he buys some property in Florida next... Right between Pig Boy's palatial estate and the Koch Brothers' summer playhouse.

[brewens]

8. I can remember Paul Harvey a few years back during a spike in unemployment,

talking about the help wanted adds in his Arizona paper. He went on about all the adds for domestic help offering the princely sum of $10 per hour! As if this proved that people just weren't willing to take good paying jobs.

Not only was that not very good money, you likely had a pretty good commute to your job. Affluent areas, as far as I know, aren't known for having reasonable housing for anyone willing to take a job like that.

There might be some benefit in it for Lucas' neighbors

[MessiahRp]

16. Paul Harvey was a douchebag.

My Republican Social Studies teacher used to bring in excerpts from his show for us to listen to and it always sounded like total bullshit for old people to me.

[Son of Gob]

35. and now you know the rest of the story.

[PavePusher]

47. That comment says far more about you than about Mr. Harvey.

And what it says isn't flattering.

[Joe the Revelator]

70. If you know anything about Paul Harvey, you'd know he was a complete rightwing douchebag.

[Zalatix]

39. I remember that. I wanted so badly to call in and ask him if he knew about the Iron Law of Wages

but I was in my car at the time and I didn't catch the phone number, if there was a phone number.

[WillyT]

9. K & R !!!

[romantico]

10. Love this story!

I think George gets a bad rap sometimes. I HATE the prequels and hate how he has tinkered with the original Star Wars trilogy for years and yes, I was even disappointed with the last Indiana Jones film. Having said that, George is a big time liberal and sounds like a decent guy. He was one of Obama's biggest supporters while he was running for Senate. He also has dealt with Hollywood and talks openly about how difficult it was for him to make a film like RED TAILS.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/10/george-lucas-hollywood-di_n_1197227.html

George Lucas On Obama: "A Hero In The Making"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/04/george-lucas-on-obama-a-h_n_105102.html

[longship]

11. Neighbors just don't want Jar-Jar moving in next door

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Well done, Mr. Lucas.

[ibegurpard]

12. that's awesome!

best thing to come from George Lucas for some time!

[Iggo]

13. LOL.

Burn!!!

[rhett o rick]

14. So he is helping low income people only to spite his neighbors? nm

[HiPointDem]

19. also for the tax breaks, i imagine.

[Zalatix]

40. I wouldn't assume the worst about his motives. He's done plenty of other good things, too.

[HiPointDem]

74. Since he's building low-income housing to stick it to his neighbors in retribution for not getting

his way the first time, he's no saint.

I'm pretty sure he'll take the tax breaks.

[xtraxritical]

100. It sounds like a win win win. Go George!

[pscot]

15. Spite housing

If you do a good deed with evil intent, does it make you a good person?

[AtomicKitten]

17. *spite*

[bluesbassman]

25. Would it be better if he put up another McMansion subdivision?

His original intent was commercial, which would have created more jobs BTW, but as that option was repeatedly thwarted by the NIMBY contingent, his options were to: A) leave the property undeveloped, benefiting no one (well, I guess the NIMBYs would see that as a plus) or B) Develop the property for residential purposes. Now if you know anything about Bay Area real estate, and especially North Bay, Low and Moderate income hosing is tough to come by. So Lucas is creating a huge benefit for the community at large, while getting a zinger in on his less than charitable neighbors.

I say that's a twofer, and my hat's off to him.

[Raine]

38. More often than not the right thing is done for the wrong reason

if that wasn't the case very few good things would ever get done. When you do something good but you don't do it with a pure heart, does that make you an evil person?

[girl gone mad]

43. Yes.

The road to heaven is paved with bad intentions.

[pscot]

45. I've heard that road runs the other way

[Trajan]

56. Think if Europeans hid Jews in occupied Europe ...

... Just to spite the Nazis ....

[2ndAmForComputers]

71. What's "evil" in the intent in question?

[Chan790]

76. Yes. n/t

[valerief]

96. How many soldiers kill for peace? nt

[LanternWaste]

104. Your personal definition of evil seems so overly broad as to include the absurd...

Your personal definition of evil seems so overly broad as to include the absurd ...

[pscot]

110. If Lucas had his way he would have built his film studio

and the poor be damned. Because his neighbors thwarted his plans he decides to get back at them by doing something they won't like. Not exactly turning the other cheek, is it? So a spiteful act of revenge will have benign consequences. Does that alter the ethical nature of the original act? I think not, but obviously, your mileage may vary.

[malaise]

20. Bwaaaaaaaah hahahaha

Love it!!

[Brickbat]

21. Using the poor as pawns? Not exactly what I would call awesome.

[MADem]

22. People who need housing will get it. I hardly call them "pawns."

They're enjoying a happy consequence following a mighty "fuck you" to a bunch of over-privileged, obstructing assholes. Lucas's studio, had it been built, would have provided JOBS to regular people, like my niece and her husband, who work in the industry. Since Lucas can't do that, he's providing HOUSING.

It's what's called a "win-win" for the good guys, in most quarters. And I think it's pretty damn awesome.

[AverageJoe90]

83. Exactly. nt

[cally]

108. The studio is currently located across the bridge where there is more mass transit

and more development. The jobs are located there. No jobs were lost. What was gained was protecting a natural resource and maintaining zoning standards where development is limited to the transportation corridor instead of a policy of allowing urban sprawl. This policy allows more/better transportation, reduces utility costs, and carbon footprints.

[MADem]

111. Seniors don't need lots of mass transit. They need a safe home, free of crime.

They need to go to the doctor and the grocer--and even nowadays, the grocery stores deliver.

I think not letting George develop his own property is more about NIMBY than anything else. They said it's only suitable for housing? Well, that's what they'll get. I wish them interesting and colorful neighbors!

[nanabugg]

23. Better than using the poor for "cannon fodder."

If it helps them, they are not "pawns."

[ProdigalJunkMail]

26. yeah...to hell with outcome...

let's make sure that land just sits there because that would be sooooo much better for the poor or elderly.

sP

[EFerrari]

64. There is no outcome yet.

If this thing ever gets built, I'll be surprised. Plus, a low income project needs all the good will it can get from the neighborhood -- which will have to cooperate on getting transportation and other amenities in there. Not to mention, who wants to live in a neighborhood where you are a pre-hated renter. Starting out by creating all this gratuitous resentment is an asshole thing to do. But, it did get Lucas 150 recs on DU which apparently has no idea what goes into actually developing housing.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

86. i bet you're just the life of the party

one of those 'throw in the towel' sorts...nothing good can ever be done. might as well not even try...no point in trying to help.

i do like your avatar though...

sP

[EFerrari]

88. Actually, I've worked the affordable housing street for years now

and am currently helping to develop an assisted living facility here so, you would lose that bet.

The thing is, DU responded to this story exactly as was hoped by its creator: who can be against helping poor people? That's just good PR, when you think about it.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

89. don't care what you've worked

you malign the motive without knowing the man...a real winning attitude.

sP

[EFerrari]

90. My attitude doesn't change the facts of this situation,

which so far add up to a wealthy man trying to bully his neighbors by threatening them with the poor.

[KurtNYC]

66. +1 Lucas hasn't built anything yet

This seems like brinksmanship -- he is proposing mutually assured destruction of real estate prices in the area if he doesn't get his movie studio. He is using force but threatening to turn the neighborhood to the dark side but can his NIMBY neighbors stop him before his death star loving studio becomes fully operational?

So to Lucas's neighbors I ask: "You would prefer a different target for the low income housing? Then name the system!"

[ErikJ]

24. Low-income creative class and students

Often times new low-income housing developments go primarily to young artists and students. So this might be his intent. His new employees and/or interns etc.

[Honeycombe8]

27. Good for him. But I'm gonna guess zoning will interfere with those plans. nt

[The Wizard]

28. He should errect

Quonset huts, bungalows and tents just for effect.

[mulsh]

29. George Lucas V Lucas Valley homeowners has been going on since he moved there.

Historically Mr. Lucas has not been a very good neighbor. One of his first actions was to try to bar residents from the easement that runs along the ridge of the valley. a fire road joggers, bikers and horse riders used regularly up until GL tried to put at stop to them. Things went down hill pretty quickly after that contretemps. I don't live in Marin County but have old family friends who've had land in that valley for over a century, they aren't exactly rich 1%-er's, although they are currently "land rich".
BTW that area was called Lucas Valley long before GL moved there.

Here's an article about the above project and Lucas Valley residents reactions.

http://marinscope.com/articles/2012/03/21/news_pointer/news/doc4f6a29e6235dc764613767.txt

[cally]

58. Yes. I've hiked that trail many times

and there are restrictions and limited easements.

[XemaSab]

30. I've sure there's great public transportation

and easy access to grocery stores and jobs out in Lucas Valley.

[LeftyMom]

42. You know the area- how far to a decent hospital?

Seems like that would be an issue for senior housing in an out of the way spot...

[Warren DeMontague]

52. I think there's one in Larkspur

not that far.

[Recursion]

55. It's right on the 101, right? There's a bus down to Golden Gate, at least.

And I think one up to Novato.

[XemaSab]

73. It's totally not right on the 101

[Recursion]

95. *shrug* it looked pretty close on this

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=novato,+ca&hl=en&ll=38.036329,-122.552834&spn=0.077337,0.155697&sll=38.711868,-77.085935&sspn=0.00879,0.019462&hnear=Novato,+Marin,+California&t=m&z=13

[cally]

59. No there is not

It takes a car to reach a grocery store. It's about 5 miles away. And a bus does not go there as far as I know. I know there is a juvenile hall about three miles closer to the 101 and I have seen many people walking from the 101 where the bus goes frequently. The Lucas property is too far to walk to where the bus goes. Marin has poor bus service.

[TheDebbieDee]

31. Wow! I'd take my hat off to you, Me. Lucas, if I wore one.

Whatta guy!

[dark forest]

33. What a thumb in the eye

for a lousy bunch of money-grubbing hypocrites.

Excellent!!

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

34. If antagonizing his former neighbors is the goal...

He should start with rounding up the roaming lunatics of Union Square, they would bring wonderful ambiance to the neighborhood.

[Zorra]

103. Maybe he is already surrounded by lunatics, and he's just upgrading neighborhood

with some 99%ers.

[Earth_First]

36. Just what these senior/low income residents need are hostile [extremely wealthy] neighbors...

and [extremely] wealth neighbors usually equate hostile local sherriff's...

[cally]

63. You are mistaking this area for other parts of Marin.

Southern Marin is extremely wealthy. This area was and is a family neighborhood. It was seen as one of the few middle class neighborhoods. Home values have escalated in the last ten years but folks who bought earlier are not extremely wealthy although their homes are very valuable now. A major part of the increase in home values in Marin is because of the protected open space and rural areas which is extremely rare in the bay area.

[Vidar]

37. Bravo, Mr. Lucas!

[Stinky The Clown]

41. Go George!

[cally]

44. This is not the whole story nor accurate

THis is a semi-rural area with dedicated open space. Marin began the modern environmental movement and has extremely strict zoning and limits development. As a result, it is one of the few counties in the Bay Area that has preserved it's open space and rural communities.

If it wasn't George Lucas, I suspect many on this board would support the community activism that fights development and tries to preserve native grasses, protect wildlife, maintain one of the best biking areas, and keep rural lands. I fully support these values and respect these activists for fighting development and requiring developers to prove that removing community areas will actually improve the neighborhood and add value to the county.

However, in this instance, I think this particular project maybe should have been built and I do think Marin needs more low income housing. I don't like the implication, that developers are somehow sticking it to neighbors and that it is OK.

[LeftyMom]

48. I think most of us can smell NIMBYs with money.

[cally]

62. Not everyone in this area have a lot of money.

Many are seniors who bought the houses for $30,000 to $40,000 years ago. The houses are about 1600 sq feet. They are now very expensive because of the open space, access to trails, and great schools.

There is a subsidized senior housing about within the neighborhood which was approved about 10 years ago which did not get too much opposition. The Lucas property is in an area about 3 miles from any major development. The few houses are mostly older and on very large parcels. The road is a two lane road with no street lights, no shoulder, and is a haven for bike riders. You cannot easily get to a hospital.

I once took this road back to the 101 with some visitors who indicated they would be afraid to live in this area because of the curvy road, rolling hills, and difficult driving. It is a long way from services for anyone not wanting a rural lifestyle. yea

[EFerrari]

67. But it pisses off the neighbors.

Let's stick a bunch of poor people with no cars or old cars out in the middle of nowhere or better yet, surrounded by pissed off neighbors. Awesome.

My bro went out there to record a couple of times and it was hella far away from anything that resembled civilization. Pretty but remote.

[XemaSab]

51. I totally agree

Also, while I think that low-income housing is a great idea, I think low-income housing should be built in areas that are closer to jobs, stores, and other amenities and not 10 miles out in the country.

[holdencaufield]

49. "If there's one thing rich people will hate more than having movie magic made in their backyard..."

Let's be truthful here -- George Lucas hasn't made "movie magic" for 40 years.

[hughee99]

77. Lucas (Lucasfilms, actually) owns Industrial Light & Magic

They did special effects for Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, many of the superhero movies, the Hunger Games, the Star Trek reboot, the Transformers movies, and have worked on many other features as well. They may not be Oscar nominees, or even Lucas movies, but their special effects are pretty amazing.

[Recursion]

53. The poor are not a weapon to be used in zoning disputes

Who am I kidding, of course they are, but they shouldn't be.

[EFerrari]

54. It's not awesome to create ill feeling among neighbors

or to use poor people to do it.

[babylonsister]

65. Sounds like the ill feelings had been created a long time ago, for a long time;

and if I read this correctly, he plans on helping poor people.

[EFerrari]

69. So this rich guy with a history of beng an asshole neighbor gets a pass

because he's using poor people as a red herring in a project that will likely never be built and that will likely fail if it does?

And does Marin need new construction for low income housing? Aren't there all kinds of vacant properties just sitting there already?

Developing housing takes years and grit and collaboration with the community. It's not something you do out of spite. You need to suck up to everything that moves in a ten mile radius and you need to be patient with all the idiots you have to work with to get through the process. Lucas isn't going to do that. But, hey, it was a good nasty threat.

[Skittles]

78. I agree with your assessment

the guy sounds like an asshole

[mulsh]

105. If he planned on helping the poor it would have been part of the plan from the begining

In fact he merely planned on expanding his operations. As other more local posters have pointed out this is a rural, remote property. No access to public transportation, no sidewalks even.

Doesn't Industrial Light and Magic still own some buildings around the canal in San Rafael? Why isn't he proposing doing something in town? it's close pretty much all of the limited modes of public transportation & stores.

Lucas mostly wants to stick it to some of his neighbors.

[Liberal_in_LA]

57. lol! How cool will that be for low income people? To live in Lucas' backyard?

[SwampG8r]

60. ok this got him back to

not a total douche
every time i read anything about lucas i hear it in my head being read by jar jar
that and that last indiana jones movie make me not a fan

[TygrBright]

61. OK, that's classy. I'll forgive him the Ewoks.

He's still on the hook for JarJar Binks and the rest of the trash in the prequels, but I'll officially cross "Ewoks" off the list of reasons karma should drop a bus on the man.

Well done, George.

Very well done.

amusedly,
Bright

[KurtNYC]

68. He isn't doing it. He is threatening to do it. Lucas is desparate.

Big difference. He wants his death star movie studio so he is threatening and throwing a fit. He is, metaphorically speaking, threatening to blow up Alderaan as a demonstration of his imperial power. But in this case it is more of a mutually assured destruction of property values.

If you think he would actually go through with it then you might not understand the 1%ers world. George Lucas is cynically trying to scare them with something they fear more than his studio plans -- poor people.

My prediction: There will be no low income housing and no movie studio.

[lonestarnot]

75. That is also my guess.

[AverageJoe90]

84. If the neighbors get their way, then no, there wouldn't be either.

[KurtNYC]

93. It has been 25 years -- the neighbors ARE getting their way

Mega-studio in a beautiful valley delayed is mega-studio in a beautiful valley denied.

This is a battle among the Marin County 1%ers.

[DainBramaged]

98. Wanna bet a nickle?

[EFerrari]

99. We can't gamble here but if this project is built

I will fulsomely admit I was wrong, apologize to Lucas and donate $50 to DU. How's that?

[DainBramaged]

101. I still like you even though I am right

[EFerrari]

102. Me, too.

lol

[SammyWinstonJack]

72. F'n awesome!

[WCGreen]

79. What a great dude....

[Serve The Servants]

81. I hope he pulls if off; the low-income housing in Lucas Valley.

And then I hope he still manages to build the studio somewhere in Marin, say Novato or San Rafael.

I know the former Hamilton air-force base community reps where making a pitch to have it located in some of the hangars, but I don't think Lucas wants to go there. I've also read Walnut Creek and Vallejo (Mare Island) are also making a pitch.

[cally]

109. The studio was already built in San Francisco

in the Presidio. Lucas closed all his Marin businesses and moved them to that location.

[AverageJoe90]

85. Good on you, George!

[RiffRandell]

87. Love it! n/t

[TBF]

91. A kick for Mr. Lucas! nt

[snappyturtle]

92. Sweet! K&R

[HappyMe]

94. k&r

Well played, Lucas.

[DainBramaged]

97. The Empire Strikes Back......

[Phentex]

106. kick

[dairydog91]

107. That's no moon...That's a project.

nt